Shinigami History
For generations more than is remembered, the cycle of soul reincarnation has existed. For most, this is a procession of human life on Earth, death of the human body, and transition of the Soul to the afterlife. This majority begins a new life in Soul Society. These lives are for the most part, not dissimilar from the peasant lives on Earth. Indeed, even the stylings of the humans seem to emulate the Japanese aesthetic of the Soul Society. A small few, those souls with a greater spiritual power, though the mechanic is not clear how this occurs, go on to become Shinigami. Shinigami serve roles as protectors of the Soul Society, and serve the will of the Soul King, in preserving this cycle from disruption. Undisturbed the influx of souls continues and the rarer still in Soul Society, are those considered Noble it this afterlife. These Nobles are different from the souls that find themselves part of the cycle, for they are in a sense birthed, when a pair of Nobles in union do so in a moment where a mass of Reiatsu, coalesces into an immature but powerful proto-soul. This is the creation of a Noble and their birthing soon after. This being grows and ages accordingly to the passage of time in Soul Society. These beings have a tendency to be strong in spirit and because of a sense of lineage, end up as Shinigami, leading others under the will of the Soul King. Collectively these Shinigami work in clans led by the Nobles, according to the specialty of their abilities. Shinigami would guide the newly dead into Soul Society, a prayer called a Konso. The Shinigami were great in number, and were ready on hand to help the cross over of souls, limiting the numbers of tortured souls, those that become hollow. Conflict was rare in the past, save for the occasional difference of opinion within Soul Society. All of this changed, when the humans, known as Quincy, began to seek and develop their own methods, of dealing with the Hollow, when a rash of attacks resulted in a massacre and slaughter. These tortured deaths and victims of hollow, became Hollow themselves, and things began to shift. The shinigami had been able, on occasion, to cleanse the soul of a hollow, and allow them to pass into Soul Society, by cutting away the armor of pain and suffering that swallowed them, with focused spirit weapons, called Zanpakuto. These resembled Katanas. With the Quincy however, their means of fighting the seemingly mindless and vicious Hollow resulted in the destruction of the souls, scattering the reishi into the world and bolstering the powers of the Quincy. This began to affect the soul cycle, and the Soul King ordered his Shinigami to destory the Quincy and preserve the order. Normally at his side, the Queen to the Soul King, stood fast in objection to this decree of slaughter against humans. Their fight only escalated, until Soul Society stood divided in Civil War. The Cost was high, and as a result, much of Soul Society was in ruins, non Shinigami and Shinigami alike were all but eliminated from existence, and they teeter now on the edge of extinction. The Defeated Soul Queen, believed dead was the loser, and the Soul King was the immortally wounded victor. He would not be able to keep from being pulled into a restorative hibernation, a millennial slumber. Only a handful of Shinigami remained, green and young, mostly Nobles. He had no choice, to give his command to them. Rebuild his Soul Society. Fight the Quincy and Cleanse the Hollow, imperative for their own survival. For without souls, there would be no Shinigami, and chaos would reign as the balance collapsed. Suffering would rise and Hollow would overrun even the Quincy, and Earth would run red. It falls to the Four Noble houses now, this charge of their King. The green and capable, must guide new souls to them, must bring order and civilization again to their world, must train them and guide them in the respective arts of their houses. How will they fare? Do they stand a chance against Hollow, against Quincy? Things for the Shinigami and Soul Society have never been more Dire, and the task is at hand, the time is now. Category:Shinigami Category:News